How to Sew a Cafe Apron in Ten Minutes or Less

The cutest cafe apron only takes ten minutes to make.

Image of light pink cafe apron being worn by a woman wearing a colorful dress.

With all the cooking that’s been going on around here lately, I could really use a new apron.

And since I had a few extra napkin laying around from the bleached acid wash napkins project, I figured we might as well use them to whip up a little something.

These aprons are SUPER easy to create…Two quick lines of sewing and you’re done!

Want to make your own? Here’s what you’ll need…

Linen cafe apron, worn by brunette wearing a dress.

Materials for Cafe Apron

Cafe Apron Instructions

1. Fold the tea towel over.

Fold over about 3 inches of the long edge of your tea towel with the wrong sides together.

Once sewn, this will create a channel along the top of the apron.

2. Iron and press the fold.

Iron the tea towel and press the folded crease.

3. Sew and keep a seam allowance.

Sew along the folded edge of the tea towel, keeping a 1/4″ seam allowance.

4. Sew again.

Sew another seam, parallel to the first one, 1″ from the first seam.

Feel free to use a larger seam allowance for the second seam if you are using a thick cord.

5. Back-tack

Back-tack all seams to prevent unraveling.

6. Cut the cord and knot the ends.

Cut your desired length of cotton cord for the waist tie. Knot the ends of the cording to prevent fraying.

7. Pass the cord through.

Pass the cord through the space between the two sewn seams. If needed, you can attach a safety pin to one end of the cord to get it through the channel.

More DIY Apron Ideas

  • Looking for a larger apron? Check out this apron pattern for a full coverage apron that still only takes minutes to make.
  • Love the cafe apron look but want some more durable? I have another DIY waist apron tutorial that is made of much thicker material and even has a pocket.Instructions for making a simple cafe apron using a linen napkin.

Not too bad for two lines of sewing, huh? I have three of four of these now and use them all the time for cooking and crafting.

You could easily add a pocket too, for paint brushes or other random items.

But I kind of like the simplicity of this sans pocket. One less thing to sew, you know?

Closeup image of handmade cafe apron, made of linen.

DIY cafe apron, being tied at the waist.

Image of an easy to make apron in pink linen.

DIY Cafe Apron - Only Two Lines of Sewing

The cutest cafe apron only takes ten minutes to make. With all the cooking that's been going on around here lately, I could really use a new apron. And since I had a few extra napkin laying around from the bleached acid wash napkins project, I figured we might as well use them to whip up a little something. These aprons are SUPER easy to create...Two quick lines of sewing and you're done! Want to make your own? Here's what you'll need...
Keyword: apron, cafe apron, diy apron, quick sewing project, sewing
Servings: 1

Equipment

  • tea towel (we used napkins from the bleached napkins DIY)
  • - cotton cord or rope (long enough to use as a waste tie)
  • - sewing machine or all-purpose needle and thread
  • - iron and ironing board

Instructions

  • Fold over about 3 inches of the long edge of your tea towel with the wrong sides together.
  • Once sewn, this will create a channel along the top of the apron.
  • Iron the tea towel and press the folded crease.
  • Sew along the folded edge of the tea towel, keeping a 1/4" seam allowance.
  • Sew another seam, parallel to the first one, 1" from the first seam.
  • Feel free to use a larger seam allowance for the second seam if you are using a thick cord.
  • Back-tack all seams to prevent unraveling.
  • Cut your desired length of cotton cord for the waist tie. Knot the ends of the cording to prevent fraying.
  • Pass the cord through the space between the two sewn seams.
Tried this recipe?Mention @paperandstitch or tag #paperandstitch!

Photography by Amelia Tatnall
Sewing by Linda Jednaszewski
Step by step photos and styling by Brittni Mehlhoff

Looking for a no-sew version of this project? Try this no-sew cafe apron using an old scarf.

13 comments | Click here to reply

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Happy fri-yay #12

Such a great idea! I love the endresult; it’s so cute! Also, I adore your dress!

Monique | WritingMonique

So cute and I love the shade of the tea towel!

honey&gazelle

Lovely, definitely have to look for napkins at the second hand shop. I never use the pockets on mine, I always manage to bend over and drop everything!

Anna

Ah – this is just darling!

Heather @ The Deans List Blog

This is so cute!!! Definitely trying this! Would make such a cute hostess gift as part of a little hamper <3 xx

Alex (Pink Elephant Blog)

Thanks Michelle.

Brittni

This looks adorably cute! I love it!

Michelle

Thanks Heather. How fun! This would be a great (and inexpensive) gift for a cook or baker.

Brittni

This is really cute! I think it’d be a great quick gift for all the cooks and bakers in my life, too!

Heather

Thank you Maritza.

Brittni

So pretty, Brittni!

Maritza
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